Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Mahe 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$15.43 SCR 223

13.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.8 SCR 1,010

-1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.22 SCR 119

71.05%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-36.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.37 SCR 34.24

18.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.81 SCR 26.20

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$8.24 SCR 119

-45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.18 SCR 75.0

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.59 SCR 23.04

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.09 SCR 15.79

86.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.73 SCR 24.99

10.98%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.16 SCR 60.2

-20.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$15.63 SCR 226

17.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.88 SCR 114

20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$12.51 SCR 181

53.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.06 SCR 29.77

28.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.23 SCR 32.29

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-44.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.96 SCR 13.83

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.96 SCR 13.84

92.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.06 SCR 15.34

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$12.15 SCR 176

-41.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.06 SCR 29.81

12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.85 SCR 12.24

250.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$23.89 SCR 346

22.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$10.24 SCR 148

-55.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.21 SCR 46.39

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$10.20 SCR 148

186.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.56 SCR 22.58

17.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.0K €33.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.7K €28.2K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 €162

$84.0 SCR 1,216

123.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.93 €19.75

$21.09 SCR 305

8.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$161 SCR 2,324

-77.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$52.5 SCR 760

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.28 SCR 91.0

78.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$721 €621

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.27 SCR 395

216.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$10.82 SCR 157

242.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$43.47 SCR 629

134.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$55.2 SCR 799

109.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$815 SCR 11.8K

88.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$852 SCR 12.3K

43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

95.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$897 SCR 13.0K

163.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $815 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 163% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $243, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mahe differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,779 including rent). Mahe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 163% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahe – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mahe runs roughly 22% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,779 in Mahe versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mahe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.